Naming Technique of the Night

Chapter 1621: Chapter 865: Short-Lived and Longevity

The Black Knights are somewhat different from what Qing Chen had imagined.

He originally thought that the four major dukes under the Roosevelt Family were entirely obedient to the Kingdom. When the Royal Family pointed east, they wouldn’t dare go west.

But it seems like the Black Knights of Silver City are a bit different. The Royal Family orders you to go to battle, and you claim you’re lost?

Is being lost okay?

Qing Chen quietly observed Marquis Bolton, and the key point was that Bolton didn’t seem to mind!

The Black Knight who greeted everyone on board had smiled, while Bolton whispered, ”It’s normal for you outsiders not to know. Actually, Silver City’s status is somewhat special...”

”What do you mean?” Qing Chen asked in confusion, ”Are they so formidable that even the Royal Family can’t touch them?”

”Not exactly,” Bolton explained after a moment’s thought, ”In the entire Kingdom, only the 11 marquises of Silver City are hereditary.”

Qing Chen was puzzled, ”I thought they aren’t hereditary. I’ve heard rumors about Silver City; their successors have no blood relation to the previous generation, right? It’s not passed from father to son.”

Bolton explained, ”It’s normal that you wouldn’t know about this; the Royal Family doesn’t allow this to be spread: The Black Knights have their own method for selecting successors. Once a marquis passes away, a new Black Knight replaces them. These individuals don’t need any merits; they only need the Silver City Duke to appoint them, and the Royal Family will handle the formalities.”

Qing Chen and He Jinqiu were shocked.

A duke can appoint marquises at will? Isn’t that the power of the King!

Bolton continued, ”These people also don’t have names. The one up there is the eleventh knight, and people close to him just call him Lao Shiyi.”

Qing Chen suddenly asked, ”Do Black Knights live long?”

The lifespan of knights is generally very long; as long as they don’t act recklessly, living to 251 is absolutely possible.

So, asking about the lifespan of Black Knights might reveal whether these people are indeed knights in heritage or not.

Bolton murmured, ”Don’t mention lifespan. Members of the Black Knights typically don’t live long; most die before the age of 40, with the longest barely reaching 52. Some say it’s because of their overuse of magic potions, others say it’s their fate.”

Qing Chen was taken aback, such short lifespan surely didn’t match the knight heritage; the difference was too great!

Knights don’t have such short lifespans.

Just then, the Black Knight Lao Shiyi in front turned around with a smile, ”There’s no need to shy away from our lifespan; we don’t care ourselves. But precisely because our lives are shorter, we especially value the enjoyment of life.”

At this point, in the command center of the hovering airship, there were grills setup, and two pretty female soldiers stood in front flipping steaks. The oil from the tender beef dripping onto the charcoal sparked inviting flames.

This looks more like a holiday than a war!

Lao Shiyi chuckled, ”You know, steak should be grilled over charcoal for flavor. Oh, how would you like your steak done? I recommend medium rare.”

Bolton: ”I want it medium.”

Qing Chen, looking at Lao Shiyi in front of him, thought; the other’s hearing must have been enhanced, otherwise, Bolton was whispering just now, and the other shouldn’t have been able to hear him.

This Lao Shiyi looks around thirty-one or thirty-two years old, which means if most Black Knights don’t live past 40, then this person’s life is nearing its end.

Qing Chen remembered that when the four major guilds besieged him at the entrance of the No. 8 Multidimensional World dungeon, the Silver Guild didn’t show up because, it was rumored, they’d gone off to woo women.

No wonder, if life is destined to be so short-lived, then what use are fame and fortune?

Qing Chen was somewhat confused, ”Why would the Royal Family indulge Silver City like this?”

Lao Shiyi grinned, ”It’s a secret.”

Honestly, Qing Chen couldn’t quite figure it out, after all, it’s an organization under the Royal Family, their power isn’t invincible, and they shirk duty. Why wouldn’t the Royal Family hold them accountable, yet grant the Silver City Duke power to appoint marquises?

Silly beyond comprehension!

As they spoke, an Asian teenager entered the command center, ”Master, when do we eat?”

Lao Shiyi cheerfully said to Bolton, ”Let me introduce, here is my apprentice, currently codename ’Twenty-nine’, might take over my title someday.”

Qing Chen thought to himself; turns out the Black Knights also have masters train apprentices, and apprentices inherit titles.

The more he looked at it, the more it resembled the Knight Organization, except for lifespan, every aspect matched!

The handsome ’Twenty-nine’, seeing outsiders present, quickly greeted everyone, ”Hello... Isn’t Marquis Bolton here, how did you get on our airship?”

Lao Shiyi laughed and said, ”Marquis Bolton lost his home, and became a lone commander, so he’s come to stay with us for a while.”

Bolton: ”That stings.”

At this moment, Lao Shiyi spoke up, ”There’s something wrong with the Duke of Storm City.”

”What’s wrong?” Qing Chen asked.

”Too fast,” Lao Shiyi chuckled, ”The response is too fast. As far as I know, a Drama Master overheard conversations of giants on the battlefield, saying the Giant Dynasty had dealings with the Duke of Storm City. Yet the Royal Family only sent two regiments to the No. 9 forward base, and the Duke of Storm City didn’t even bother to argue, just rebelled on the spot. Don’t you find it strange? At least clarify with His Majesty, or prepare a bit more, why did they rush off like a market fair, rebel so intensely?”

Lao Shiyi continued, ”I’ve met the Duke of Storm City several times. When I went to Storm City, I asked his daughter for a drink right in front of him, and he didn’t react at all, very tolerant. So why this time, is he so impatient? I suspect foul play, therefore we shouldn’t approach the battlefield, let’s drink and eat on the airship, it’s lovely.”

Qing Chen thought Lao Shiyi was right, this rebellion indeed happened too quickly.

It had only been just over thirty hours since he sowed discord with the Duke of Storm City. This scene seemed like everything had been rehearsed, everything happened just perfectly.

Qing Chen certainly had his guesses, but he didn’t want to share them with these people.

However, Lao Shiyi was truly daring, actually asking the Duke of Storm City’s daughter for a drink right to his face...

Bolton suddenly asked, ”Did you succeed in asking her out?”

Qing Chen and He Jinqiu quietly turned to look at Bolton, this marquis’ thought process was evidently not normal either.

Just like if your girlfriend tells you: ”I cried listening to music until midnight yesterday.”

You ask: ”What song were you listening to? Did you cry until precisely midnight?”

These aren’t questions normal people would ask.

Right then, Lao Shiyi curiously asked, ”Marquis Bolton, when you were at the No. 9 forward base, how did you predict the giants’ arrival and adjust the airship’s position ahead of time?”

Marquis Bolton said, ”I didn’t predict; it was just normal adjustment.”

”I don’t believe it; such coincidences don’t happen,” Lao Shiyi laughed cheerfully, ”Surely Marquis Bolton wisely foresaw the situation, I’m just curious which detail you based your judgement on, tell me!”

With those words, Marquis Bolton instinctively glanced at Qing Chen.

Lao Shiyi, being particularly sharp, also instinctively glanced at Qing Chen, then his pupils slightly contracted, seemingly picking up on something.

Turns out this Marquis Bolton really was a piece of work, with a hidden master behind him.

While pondering, ’Twenty-nine’ entered the command center again to tell Lao Shiyi, ”Master, it’s time to take your potion.”

Lao Shiyi grinned at everyone, ”Excuse me for a moment.”

...

The Chapter only has over 2200 words, originally I’d written more, but the plot is somewhat crucial today, so I’ll modify it this evening and post the remaining ten thousand words at midnight.

Furthermore, for me, updating ten thousand words daily has always been the standard for ’burst writing,’ some may write over twenty thousand words a day without tiring, but writing over ten thousand words daily is essentially my limit, aside from eating and sleeping, nothing else gets done, and under particularly good conditions, it might be around twelve or thirteen thousand.

Therefore, what I mean by burst writing is updating ten thousand words daily, and those expecting fifteen, twenty thousand words or more daily, I really can’t manage...

Just cursing me over this matter would seem unnecessary...